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| May 8, 2007 »
Cardinal Roger Mahony spoke to the crowd of marchers in Spanish. "This year we really have three months. This congress has only three months to pass a meaningful comprehensive bill by the August recess," said Mahony later, summing up his main points to the crowd. "If they don't, they'll come back from recess with one focus--November 2008. And this will be off the radar.
"We have this paradox that Congress has to overcome. We have a fence along the border and we have two signs--one says 'Keep out.' The other says 'Help wanted.' "
Asked about the difference between this year's turnout and last year's, Mahony said, "We're in a whole different mode. Last year was more of a protest against the very punitive measure that passed in the House of Representatives. It was a reaction against the criminalization of people. This year we are more about getting meaningful legislation that deals with all the issues at once, not just one at a time."
-Jill Leovy
Johnny Yu, a 54-year old Korean businessman, leaned on a newspaper box as he watched the marchers go by on Olympic. The mostly Latino marchers passed by scores of Korean businesses on their way to MacArthur Park.
"It's ok. It's just one day," he said. "They have a right to express their opinion and I respect that."
Yu, who is from Korea but now hold US citizenship, runs an international trading company. He said he doesn't hire illegals but ntoed that his subcontractors do. Immigration, he said, "is a very complicated issue. One sides makes sense, then the other side makes sense."
-Jill Leovy
Sylvia Carranza, 40, a union organizer and South Central Los Angeles resident, said she joined the march to McArthur Park this afternoon to show her support for immigrant rights. Carranza, a second generation Mexican American, said the demonstrations show Washington lawmakers that people are paying attention and care about immigration reforms.
"For U.S.-born citizens, it is really important to participate because it's showing our representatives that we are watching," said Carranza, who wore a red T-shirt that said "We March today. We vote tomorrow." She said as long as immmigrants work, "they should have access to the same rights that we do."
Richard Abrams, 51, an opponent of illegal immigration who observed the gathering of marchers at 3rd Street and Vermont, said that all immigrants should follow the legal process if they want to become citizens. "My issue with illegal immigration is that it's illega. Enough said," Abrams said. "I'm personally bothered by today's march. I know it's not a black and white issue but gray.
However, if i went to Mexico and did this, would they allow it?" Although he supports the government's plans to build a wall along the border, Abrams said he did not believe that families should be separated because of immigration problems. "It's fundamentally wrong if you believe in families," he said.
-Francisco Vara-Orta at 3rd and Vermont
The LAPD reports at least 2,000 people marching toward MacArthur Park, but officials expect the number to rise.
-Richard Winton at LAPD Command Center.
Anti-illegal immigration advocates exchanged verbal barbs and taunts with immigrants in downtown Santa Ana Tuesday. As hundreds of people rallied for immigration reform, about 75 counter-protesters showed up at the corner of Ross Street and Civic Center Drive with placards bearing such messages as "Santa Ana, California, United States of America," "Patriotism is not Racism" and "Support our Police and Border Patrol." Among the advocates was Chino Hills resident Cherie Wood who said: "We're against the invasion of our country. We need them to stop using our hospitals and our social system. We have our own poor people. We are just sick of paying" for them." The group was not warmly received in Santa Ana, where 75% of the population is Latino and an equal percentage speaks Spanish. About 53% of the city's population is foreign born. When the group marched to the Mexican consulate near a local elementary school, children behind the school gates chanted "Mexico, Mexico, Mexico" at them from the playground.
-Jennifer Delson in Santa Ana
Four of seven Santa Ana City Council members spoke at a rally before joining a protest march. One of them was Mayor Miguel Pulido, who last year was criticized for not attending a similar event. Pulido urged the crowd to send its message peacefully. "It's important that this event be peaceful," he said, "otherwise our message will not get across."
In interviews with Spanish and English media after his brief comments, the mayor said "we don't have jurisdiction over the subject, but we can send a message and maybe it will have an impact. I'm in favor of immigration reform."
--Jennifer Delson in Santa Ana
Officials in the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex reported less truck traffic in the morning hours in their container terminals and on local highways. But the impacts were far less than suggested by some independent drivers who stayed home on Tuesday, officials said.
"It was significantly quieter early in the morning, with some terminals saying they were half as busy as usual," said Art Wong, a spokesman for the Port of Long Beach, which has seven container terminals. "But by 2 p.m. it was looking closer to normal."
"A year ago, there were very few trucks out here until late in the afternoon," he added.
The adjacent Port of Los Angeles was less impacted, with five of its seven terminals operating at normal capacity. Hardest hit were the APL terminal, which was operating at 40% of normal, and Yang Ming, which was operating at 50% of normal, according to Theresa Adams Lopez, a spokeswoman for the port.
-Louis Sahagun in Long Beach
Liliya China Bistro on 2nd and Main St. found out about the march yesterday (Monday) and were at full lunch staffing today, said Eddie Kim, manager of the restaurant, which is one block away from City Hall. They were not open last year.
Usually their peak hours for lunch are 11-1:30 p.m., and the restaurant, which can hold around 70 people on its two levels, is packed with customers and has a line. They usually get about 150 customers throughout the lunch hour, sometimes more. Today they had maybe a couple dozen customers, Kim said. He estimates the restaurant lost about $1,200 today.
Next year if there is the same march, he said the restaurant will "probably cut down staffing to half" of the six people they normally have working during the lunch hour.
-Tami Abdollah
Usually when a march blazes past Samantha Diaz’s downtown Los Angeles bridal shop on Broadway, she has sold water or flags like a true entrepreneur. But not this time.
This year, Diaz, a 37-year-old immigrant from Guadalajara, Mexico, who’s fed up with seeing marches that have little or no effect on politicians, closed her store and instead circulated a petition asking for amnesty for all immigrants currently in the United States.
"I just got tired of marches and marches and more marches and not seeing any result, and I wanted to do something for my people," said Diaz, who as a former illegal immigrant benefited from the last amnesty granted in 1991.
Diaz was swarmed by people wanting to sign one of the roughly 5,000 copies of the petition she was passing out. She said she intended to send it to the president, but the petitions were addressed to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
-Evelyn Larrubia
Russell Jauregui, 51,a community organizer, was wearing a flourescent colored baseball cap, carrying wrinkled poster paper under one arm and shouting at marchers not to block the sidewalk. Marchers probably take up less than 100 yds on Vermont. The Union 76 gas station on nw corner of Vermont and 3rd is the main gathering spot. Jauregui said this would be the big church, labor, and student rally. He indicated that this year, news of the march was spread mostly by word of mouth, that they didnt get much media this year. Jauregui seemed unfazed by the small crowd, insisting it would grow and appearing upbeat--as if things were going exactly as planned.
-Jill Leovy at Olympic and Vermont
At about 1:30 at the Vermont and Olympic, the stepping off place for the afternoon march, about a half dozen workers in red t-shirts were piling placards on the ground that said "living wage for all and dignitity for all workers" in English and Spanish. They also stacked cases of bottled water on a small strip of lawn in front of a Union 76 station for those in the march.
They set two large blue balloons in the shape of planet earth bobbing in the afternoon breeze. Several of them worked to erect and even large white balloon that would carry the message "Legalization Now."
Max Mariscal, 35, who came here over eight years ago from Oaxaca, Mexico, is a community organizer with the Korea Town Immigrant Workers Alliance Network.
"For this march, we're saying about 5,000 people are going to show up from all points -- 5,000 people at least," he said.
-Jim Ricci at Olympic and Vermont
Demonstrators began their march up Broadway, stopping after one block. Organizers told police that they are going to try and keep the crowd between 9th and Olympic on Broadway until noon before they start moving down. They are holding a purple sign with white lettering that says "legalizacion." They are just gathering now.
-Tami Abdollah on Broadway
About 50 people , many of them independent truck drivers, gathered at the northwest corner of banning park in the port community of Wilmington for what was a subdued show of support for their 12,000 to 14,000 fellow truckers who are non-union. The event was organized Ernesto Nevarez, a member of the Industrial Workers of the World, a socialist workers group.
Surveying the men who were standing in a semi circle and listening to IWW organizers talk of the need to unite for their mutual benefits, Nevarez said, "I’m hearing about 95% of the 12,000 to 14,000 truckers stayed home, went to the march in Los Angeles or came here." When told that less than 1,000 marchers had shown up in downtown LA by mid-morning, Nevarez said, "Are you kidding me?"
Among them was truck driver Max Palma, 44, of Long Beach, who described himself as among "many, many truckers who are not working today." "I’m losing a day’s work, which is about $150 minus expenses of about the same amount," Palma said.
-Louis Sahagun in Wilmington
City Councilwoman Janice Hahn addressed the crowd in front of City Hall, saying she applauded them for coming out and participating in the issues that affect their lives. She said she also wanted to encourage people to register people to vote.
"We're going to elect a new president of the United States next year and she may be the person to bring us together around the issue of immigration," she said. "Elections have consequences."
-Sam Quinones
Five men holding American flags and signs saying, "Illegal immigration ... driving our nation into extinction," stood at the city employee entrance of City Hall on Spring Street, drawing the ire of about 100 marchers who harangued them with chants of, "Racists out!"
The five counter-protesters stood silent and expressionless, and declined to speak with media. A group of police officers kept an eye on things a couple steps behind.
-Tami Abdollah
For half an hour on his Spanish-language radio show on KSCA-FM (101.9), Los Angeles disc jockey Eddie "Piolin" Sotelo held a call-in debate over whether it was appropriate to bring non-U.S. flags to immigration rallies. The calls, primarily regarding Mexican flags, ran the gamut of arguments.
"We carry Mexico in our hearts," one said. "We are Mexican and we will die Mexican. But that doesn’t mean we need to offend this country by waving our flag in its borders."
Some callers, from other Latin American countries, called to complain that Mexican flag-wavers were not only insulting the U.S., but also hurting solidarity over the issue of immigration reform. One, in defending his right to wave the flag, noted that some have been offended by the gesture as U.S. troops waved flags in Iraq.
--Adrian Uribarri
Davide F. Pugsli, manager of the Metro Red Line, said Red Line trains will be running with six cars instead of four all day, and Gold Line trains with two cars instead of one. He said passenger traffic so far has been "very light," but he anticipates an increase around 3 p.m., when the march ends.
Metro officials also said buses are running on schedule, and there have been no snags.
-Tami Abdollah
Hundreds of students have ditched Los Angeles-area schools to join the immigrant rights march, but Miriam Roman said she’s confident her children are not among them.
A 30-year-old immigrant from Guatemala who attended the march with her 2-year-old daughter Jaime, Roman decided to keep her other two children, ages 7 and 11, in class. "I’m here, and they’re over there in school. So we’re both working toward a better future," said Roman as Jaime toddled down the street toting a sign that said, "Earn path to citizenship."
Roman attended the march in the hope that her oldest child, who is in the country illegally, will someday gain the citizenship status held by her other two children "because even the worst here and making ends meet is often the best you can hope for back home" in Guatemala, she said.
--Francisco Vara-Orta on Broadway
With the help of officers in LAPD choppers, the police department now estimates the march crowd at 10,000.
-Richard Winton at the LAPD Command Center
Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton, who was out monitoring the crowds downtown, said the protestors -- who numbered about 5,000 -- were well behaved and that he didn't anticipate any problems. He said earlier he had spoken to Chicago police who were expecting about 30,000 marchers to take to the streets today. "I said most of our people must have gone there," Bratton said.
-Sam Quinones on Broadway
After being held back by organizers for about an hour and a half, a small but noisy band of protesters began its march toward city hall shortly before 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, much later than the ancitipated start time of 10 a.m..
The crowd, which was anticipated to reach 100,000, did not even come close. Bodies filled Broadway between 9th and Olympic, but not much further.
Organizers said the small turnout was in part due to less publicity on the Latino airwaves than last years affair.
-Evelyn Larrubia on Broadway
Manuel Nunez, 40, a member of the Associacion Fraternidades Guatemaltecas, an network of hometown clubs that raise money for public works projects in Guatemala, said that last year all immigrants were encouraged to participate in the May 1 march and that is why it drew an estimated 650,000 people on the streets of downtown Los Angeles. But this year, Nunez, an illegal immigrant who works in the construction business, said people were told to participate if they could "but not to risk losing their jobs." He said this is what accounted for the lower turnout.
-Sam Quinones on Broadway
LAPD Cmdr. Louis H. Gray Jr. estimated the crowd had swelled to about 3,000 people by 11 a.m. "It's smaller than we anticipated," he said. "Last year at this time, I'd say there were at least 300,000 to 400,000 people." There have been no incidents or arrests, he said.
Gray acknowledged that the police were "caught off guard a bit" when 650,000 marchers showed up in downtown Los Angeles last year. This year, he said, "we have sufficient personnel to handle a large crowd."
At 11:10 a.m., another couple hundred middle and high school students marched up to join the crowd.
-Tami Abdollah
Three teachers wearing red UTLA t-shirts came to the march by train.
Eugenia Melendez, 34, a math teacher at Franklin High School, carried a cardboard sign that said "Stop Family Separation" -- a big issue at her school.
"I came from a family of immigrants and most of our students have arrived here illegally," said Melendez, who was born and raised in Ecuador and is now a citizen."By showing our support, we tell those kids that they should not be afraid of where they came from."
Another teacher, Estela Donlucas, 34, the magnet coordinator at Franklin High School said last year's march changed how schools discussed immigration with their students. "The schools are doing a better job on lesson planning on issues like immigration," Donlucas said. "At my school, for example, my pricnipal is very good about opening up the auditorium, so kids have an appropriate place to voice their opinions."
-Carla Rivera
LAPD crowd total: 3,000 - 5,000 marchers. The march is expected to get underway around 11:20 a.m.
-Richard Winton
As of 10:30, about 600 students had walked out from less than a dozen Los Angeles Unified School District campuses -- far fewer than had been anticipated.
The largest group, according to district officials, came from Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, where about 150 students left. Students from all schools were being escorted by either school district police or school administrators and there were no reports of any altercations or accidents involving students. If needed, school buses will be sent downtown later in the afternoon to provide students rides back to their campuses, said district spokeswoman Monica Carazo.
-Joel Rubin
Organizers are saying that one reason the march hasn't drawn more people is that there were two start times publicized: one at 10 a.m., another at noon. They're holding back people until noon to see if the masses show.
-Teresa Watanabe
Luis Aranda, a 50-year-old owner of a 99 Cents storenear Broadway and 8th, found his business flanked on both sides by more than a dozen shuttered store fronts.
But the Argentia-native resolved to keep his four-month-old business open, even as demonstrators marched by.
"I'm in favor of the march, but my obligation is to pay the rent," said Aranda, who stood behind the counter, peering out the window for potential customers. "My sales will be 50 percent less today."
Raul Villa Lopez was not eager to close up his green, outdoor newsstand either, but at 9 a.m. he did -- out of respect for the marchers.
"This doesn't happen everyday," said Villa, a Los Angeles native. "If they respect the laws, I'll respect them."
-Tony Barboza and Broadway
More than 20 high school and middle school students have left Bravo Medical Magnet School, said Alma Soriano. She is a junior at Bravo. Some students left their school and walked straight to City Hall at 9 a.m., before the march started. Another group left at 10:15 a.m. and planned to meet at Lorena Street and Caesar Chavez Avenue with middle and high school students, then join up with the larger group of marchers and head to City Hall.
-Tami Abdollah at City Hall
Is the immigrant march movement becoming fragmented?
Agustin Martinez, 33, seems to think so. He attributed the lower turnout at the downtown march this year to protesters having more options to choose from, and he rattled off three to four smaller cities hosting their own immigrant rallies.
He also blamed Spanish language radio for not promoting the downtown rally like they did last year.
Police have estimated about 500 protesters are marching toward City Hall, a far cry from the 650,000 who took to the streets last year on May 1.
But Martinez, who works at a bakery in Vernon and immigrated from Michoacan, Mexcio, isn’t discouraged. On the contrary, he and his friend Miguel Lopez, 43, who works at the same bakery, plan to attend as many rallies as they are able. "We’re going to keep coming to every one we can," Martinez said, "until I can say that I am an American."
-Francisco Vara-Orta on Broadway
On Eddie "Piolin" Sotelo’s program at KSCA-FM (101.9), the Los Angeles disc jockey called marchers in several cities around the U.S., asking them where people could meet them to join the rallies at each city.
A caller in Chicago said police changed the march route hours before the boycott began there. The march was starting there at 1:30 p.m., finishing at the city’s Grant Park two hours later for a rally.
In Los Angeles, Sotelo called a young female student on Olympic and Broadway, where she was preparing to start a march toward City Hall at noon. The march was originally scheduled to start at 10 a.m. but by 10:30 a.m. only about 400 people had gathered at the intersection.
"This is our opportunity," the student said. "We can’t wait. Our people can’t be suffering. I ask everyone: Don’t doubt us. Unite for our community, for all the people who are suffering."
--Adrian Uribarri
Last year, Matthew Tats, owner of "Matt Electronics Merchandizing," kept his downtown store open during the May 1 marches, in spite of calls from organizers and activists to close all businesses. This year, Tats decided to listen.
Tats, an immigrant from Iran, opened at 9 a.m. and planned to close for the day at 10 a.m., when the march to City Hall was scheduled to begin.
Tats hoped to snag a couple early morning customers snooping for radios, TVs, or DVDs. He didn’t have any luck, and was in the process of closing just before 10 a.m.
Continue reading "Closing shop will cost him" »
Four 10th-graders from Lawndale High School skipped school today -- they claim with their parents' blessing.
Tenth-grader Danielle Rubio, 16, was born in the United States.
"I don't think it's right to say we're felons when all we want to do is have freedom," she said. "It's funny, we can go fight the war but we can't live here."
Michoacan, Mexico native Rosa Salcido, 16, moved here legally as a child, but lended her support for immigrants who have not earned such status.
"If you apply, you don't get it quick. It takes a while," she said. "If you want your kids to have a better life, you don't have the time to wait for your papers."
--Tami Abdollah on Broadway
L.A.'s first march of the day will be headed toward City Hall, and around 8 a.m. -- hours before the demonstrators were expected to arrive -- one of the busiest places in the area was the Starbucks in Little Tokyo. As downtown's population has crept upward toward 30,000, such establishments aren't just the domain of commuters anymore; nearby residents join local workers in lining up for their morning caffeine fix.
Other downtown workers had different reasons for sitting this one out. Gabriela Grajeda, 25, a barista at the coffeehouse and a student at Cal State L.A., said she marched last year. This year, though, "I have classes and I don’t want to miss them," she said.
Among the customers, David Morin, 30, offered a different kind of immigrant's perspective. Morin moved to L.A. two days ago from Quebec City, Canada, and he's reveling in the start of his new life. He says he's wanted to live in L.A. "since childhood," and today he was looking forward to his first day on the job at a downtown ad agency.
"Working with an ad agency in Canada is working with lumberjacks instead of working with celebrities like Brad Pitt," Morin said.
--Molly Selvin at 2nd Street and Central Avenue
Marchers began moving north on Broadway. Police estimate 500 marchers, far fewer than organizers or city officials estimated.
-Tami Abdollah on Broadway
Up and down Broadway the majority of businesses were closed on the nornally bustling street. Those in the crowd blew horns and held signs that read "stop the raids and deportations," and "legalization now." But their numbers were considerably less than a year ago. Sonia Sanchez, 30 and a native of Naucalpan Mexico, who came out to the march with her two daughters said stories were circulating that immigration officials would be rounding people up. "Many people were intimidated," said the Sanchez who has been in the U.S. for six years and works as a house cleaner. But she was defiant, "we had to come."
-Sam Quinones at Olympic and Broadway
Officers said they will not close off Broadway for some time, until a big enough crowd arrives. Olympic will likely be closed off soon.
-Tami Abdollah at Olympic and Broadway
As the 10 a.m. start time for the march on City Hall nears, some protesters at the corner of Olympic and Broadway expressed frustration at the lower than expected turnout.
Marchers who attended last year’s May 1 rally recalled streets and sidewalks so packed with bodies that they couldn’t even sit down. This year, shortly after 9 a.m., only about a hundred flag-waving marchers had arrived.
"This is not right," said Andres Meza, 41, an electrician from Placentia in Orange County who immigrated illegally from Mexico nearly 20 years ago.
Meza said the lack of comprehensive immigration reform has left him a life full of uncertainty, and prevented him from doing things like taking his 15 year-old daughter Arleth, a student of Japanese, to Japan, or even reporting simple crimes.
Continue reading "Marchers disappointed by turnout" »
During last year's march, some protesters faced criticism for waving Mexican flags. This year so far, there are a lot of American flags being waved. At Olympic and Broadway, the crowd spontaneously broke out into chants of "U.S.A.," as about a dozen cart-pushing street vendors sold flags, T-shirts, bullhorns and hotdogs. The aroma of onions and peppers filled the air in the streets.
-- Tami Abdollah
Yadira Ramirez, a 27-year-old nurse's assistant and Los Angeles resident, arrived on the corner of Olympic and Broadway by 7 a.m. with her husband, Juan Lerma, a 29-year-old janitor who is here illegally, and the eldest of the their three U.S.-born children.
Their daughter Esmerelda Diaz, 9, a shy fourth-grader from Wilshire Crest Elementary School, wore jeans, white sneakers and an oversized "We Are American" red T-shirt for the march, her second one. She "came to participate with my family," she said, "so everyone can give us papers."
Continue reading "Why she is marching" »
At 9 a.m., there were a dozen cops on motorcycles driving down Broadway toward City Hall. A minute later, another dozen cops on motorcycles drove back and forth a number of times, as if gauging the crowd. At 9:05 a.m., half a dozen police on bicycles rode to Olympic and Broadway and met with cops on motorcycles. They then all drove down Broadway toward City Hall, bikes behind motorcycles.
The streets are still open. Last year, at 9 a.m. the streets were already closed because the crowds were so big, according to Steve Montel, a Los Angeles fire inspector. He was walking the area on Olympic and Broadway to give updates to his command post.
The marchers have until 3 p.m. to finish up at City Hall. The marchers could leave at 11 a.m. and still make it in time. The crowds aren't as big as last year, and they are not having to close streets yet.
-Tami Abdollah at Olympic and Broadway
Early reports from the Los Angeles Unified School District suggest that students are coming to school -- and at least for now -- staying there.
According to a 9 a.m. count by the district, the only reports of walkout came at Dorsey High School, where 20 student have left campus
-Joel Rubin
At about 8:30 a.m. near the corner of Olympic and Broadway, the assembly area for the march to City Hall, about two dozen people gathered. Some wore sombreros and were waving American flags.
A smattering of police officers, firefighters, and news crews were also there, as well as a group of t-shirt vendors hoping to capitalize on the anticipated crowds. One man sold red t-shirts with "We are America" emblazoned on them from the back of a black PT Cruiser.
--Evelyn Larrubia at Olympic and Broadway
Is traffic actually better this morning?
Downtown streets clearly have less traffic than normal, with some commuters heeding the warnings of city officials to avoid the city center if possible. The Times' Beth Shuster reports it took her 18 minutes to get down the 101 Freeway from Studio City to downtown -- a likely weekday record for her. The Times' Shirley Bermudez said her commute to downtown from Whittier -- normally 45 minutes -- took 30 minutes.
Big crowds in downtown could impact mobile phone service, an LAPD official said.
"There were so many people trying to use cell phones that even police cell phones didn't work," said LAPD Deputy Chief Caylor "Lee" Carter said.
Carter also warned of the potential for criminal activity. At the protests last year, a man or several men sexually molested women and then were able to get away in the vast crowds, he said.
--Richard Winton at LAPD headquarters
Rene Tejada, 54, owner of the Discount Broadway Swap Meet on Broadway between 7th and 8th streets, was selling Mexican and American flags outside his store for $2 each, and chilled bottles of Gatorade, water and soda for $1.25 each.
Tejada, who spoke halting English, said the wares were for marchers, and he made a waving motion with his hand as he pointed to the flags.
His was the only store open on the block, except for a fast food restaurant selling hamburgers and burritos.
-Tami Abdollah on Broadway
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